The Weekly Daf #180
Niddah 4-10
Week of 16-22 Tamuz 5757 / 21-27 July 1997 (Parshas Pinchas)
By Rabbi Mendel Weinbach, Dean, Ohr Somayach Institutions
===========================================================================
Jewish Educational Extensions
Ohr Somayach's First College-Level course via the Internet
Lessons For The Ages: Struggles and Achievements of Abraham The Patriarch
A Textual Study of Torah and Classical Commentaries
Registration for this course is taking place now at
http://www.ohr.org.il/jee
Course begins Sunday, October 26, 1997
===========================================================================
The 17th of Tammuz, the Three Weeks and Tisha B'Av are almost here...
Check out what Ohr Somayach has to say on them:
http://www.ohr.org.il/special/9av/index.htm
===========================================================================
The Mystery of Galilee
"The Torah scholars in Galilee guard the ritual purity of their wines and
oils."
This historical observation of the Sage Ulla arouses wonder for two
reasons. First of all, what purpose was there for guarding the ritual
purity of these items in the days of Ulla, centuries after the destruction
of the Beis Hamikdash where ritually pure wine and oil were required for
libations and meal offerings? This same question applies to the Sage
Rebbie in our Gemara who issued a ruling in a case of ritual purity even
though he too lived at a time when there was no Beis Hamikdash.
The answer to this question is that both in the days of Rebbie, and later
in the days of Ulla, there were pious sages in Galilee who lived with the
hope that Mashiach would come at any moment and the Beis Hamikdash would be
rebuilt. They therefore wished to have immediately available the wine and
oil necessary for the sacred service.
Another source of wonder is discussed in Mesechta Chagigah (28a). During
the time of the Beis Hamikdash the wines and oils of Galilee were not
accepted for use on the altar because a stretch of foreign land ran between
Galilee and Judea in which Jerusalem was located. Since the Sages had
decreed a state of impurity on any land which did not have the sanctity of
Eretz Yisrael, any wine and oil which passed over this stretch would become
contaminated and unfit for use on the altar. What then was the purpose of
those pious scholars in Galilee guarding the purity of their produce ?
The answer to this second question is that they guarded the purity of their
wine and oil and stored them in anticipation that the Prophet Eliyahu would
reveal to them a passage from Galilee to Judea. This passage would indeed
have the sanctity of Eretz Yisrael so that their precious wares could
safely be brought to the rebuilt Beis Hamikdash.
Nidah 6b
===========================================================================
The Great Paradox
"Who can produce purity from impurity if not the One?"
This is the way Iyov (14:4) described the wondrous workings of the Creator
which sometimes appear so paradoxical to human understanding.
The Sages interpret the paradox of Iyov in a number of different ways.
Rabbi Yochanan suggests that Iyov is referring to male's seed, which makes
one impure, but produces a human who is pure.
Rabbi Elazar, however, relates Iyov's paradox to the classical paradox of
the Red Heifer, of which the wisest of men, King Solomon, declared (Koheles
7:23): "I thought that I would understand it but it remained remote from
me." A Jew who became impure because of contact with the dead could become
pure again by having a solution of red heifer, ashes, and spring water
sprinkled on him. If someone touched or carried this sprinkling solution
not for the purpose of sprinkling it on an impure person, then he became
impure. But if he sprinkled it on an impure person, he purified him and
remained pure himself.
Only the One Above could, in His Divine wisdom, allow purity to emanate
from impurity.
Nidah 9a
===========================================================================
Do you link to us? Let everyone know about the Ohr Somayach Home Page by
dropping the following text into the HTML document of YOUR home page:
The Ohr Somayach International Home Page
===========================================================================
SUBSCRIBE!
to one of the many weekly "lists" published by Ohr Somayach Institutions:
ohrnews - Keep up-to-date with the Ohr Somayach Web Site
weekly - Summary of the weekly Torah portion
dafyomi - Rav Mendel Weinbach's insights into the Daf Yomi
ask - The Rabbi answers YOUR questions on Judaism
parasha-qa - Challenging questions on the weekly Torah portion
os-special - All the SPECIAL publications produced by Ohr Somayach
os-alum - "B'Yachad" - the Ohr Somayach Electronic Alumni Newsletter
judaismo - Spanish-Language newsletter on the Parsha & Judaism
month - Seasons of the Moon - The Jewish Year through its months
Ohr Somayach NEVER charges for any of the above lists.
To subscribe, send the message: subscribe {listname} {your full name}
mailto:listproc@virtual.co.il
===========================================================================
Dedication opportunities are available for The Weekly Daf.
Please contact us for details.
===========================================================================
Written and Compiled by Rabbi Mendel Weinbach
General Editor: Rabbi Moshe Newman
Production Design: Lev Seltzer
===========================================================================
Jewish L EEEEEEEE Prepared by the Jewish Learning Exchange of
J L E Ohr Somayach International
J L E 22 Shimon Hatzadik Street, POB 18103
J L Exchange Jerusalem 91180, Israel
J L E Tel: 972-2-581-0315 Fax: 972-2-581-2890
J J L E Mailto:ohr@virtual.co.il
JJJJ Learning EEEEEEEE http://www.ohr.org.il
===========================================================================
(C) 1997 Ohr Somayach International - All rights reserved.
This publication may be distributed to another person intact without prior
permission. We also encourage you to include this material in other
publications, such as synagogue newsletters. However, we ask that you
contact us beforehand for permission, and then send us a sample issue.